“I love you too,” she confessed. “That’s why it hurt as much as it did when I read what you’d written. It felt like you hated me in return.”
“I could never hate you, Emily.” His eyes, she saw, shone with emotion. “Please forgive me. I beg you. Give me the chance to prove myself worthy.”
“Only if you forgive me for the secrets I kept.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Secrets. As in more than one?”
“I don’t just write reviews,” Emily told him. “I also run a book club. We meet the first Saturday of every month.”
“Is that all?” Callum asked, his piercing gaze holding hers.
He dipped his head as soon as she nodded, and crushed her mouth with his. This was not the paltry show of affection he had displayed when he had proposed. This kiss overwhelmed, it weakened her knees and forced her to cling to him in desperation. It was raw, completely improper, and utterly delicious.
The intimacy was extraordinary, the taste of him so divine she could not get enough. The need building inside her threatened to rid her of sensible thought. She was lost to sensation, and he was her guide.
“Exquisite,” he murmured, the words whispering softly against her skin as he kissed a path over the edge of her jaw. One hand gripped her waist, the other sought out her thigh.
She shifted a little and arched up against him, hoping to offer whatever encouragement he required to further his exploration. He did not disappoint. His hand on her thigh tightened before sliding higher.”
“Tell me to stop and I will,” he promised.
“Not yet,” she gasped as his teeth grazed her shoulder. “Kiss me again.”
She didn’t have to ask twice. His mouth returned to hers in a sensual exchange of forbidden yearning, each sweet caress alluding to something increasingly feral. And it only made her hungry for more.
The heat enveloping her and the ache he’d instilled deep inside her increased. Desperation rushed through her veins. She needed him to touch her just a little bit more to the left. Shifting her feet, she sought additional pressure, and sighed when she found what she needed.
A growl filled the air and then Callum muttered a curse. He grabbed her by the hips, effectively stilling her movements.
“Emily,” he warned, his voice roughened by his raspy breaths. “We should stop before this gets out of hand.”
“It’s already out of hand, wouldn’t you say?”
“Only a little,” he muttered. “You’ve not yet got your skirts up around your waist and I’ve not undone my placket.”
She tried to draw him back to her but he was a hard man to budge. Exasperated, she told him, “We’re to be married, are we not?”
He drew back farther and his nostrils flared. Eyes filled with endless desire pierced hers. “I want you, Emily, make no mistake about it, but I’ll not disgrace you in a folly while your relatives plan your grandmother’s funeral.”
The words had the same effect as dropping her into an icy pond. She stiffened with a horrified wince. “How could I let myself get carried away like that when she’s…? Good Lord, I’m a terrible person.”
“No, you’re not.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, then dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “I think we can both agree that we got a bit carried away.”
“Thankfully one of us had the good sense to stop. My goodness, you must think me an absolute wanton.”
“Certainly,” he said with a grin. “But that’s not a bad thing.”
She elbowed him in the ribs as soon as he released her. “You’re not supposed to admit to such things.”
“Why on earth not?” he challenged. Grabbing her hand, he spun her back into his arms and kissed her again with possessive force. “You are to be my wife, Emily, so let’s be perfectly clear. The way you responded to me just now makes me long for our wedding night more than you can imagine. I want you to be improper when we’re together. It heats my blood, knowing how much you crave my touch. And just so you know, I look forward to doing all sorts of scandalous things with you in our bedroom.”
“Good heavens.” She patted her cheeks which had grown blazing hot. “Do all engaged couples speak so candidly with each other?”
“I’ve no idea,” Callum said. He linked her arm with his and started guiding her back out into the sunshine. “It’s simply how I intend to speak with you, and I do hope you will reciprocate. Being open and honest about our desires is, in my opinion, the way to ensure a happy marriage.”
Emily pondered that for a moment before sending Callum a smug smile. “Well, in that case, you probably ought to know that I’d very much like to…” She rose up onto her toes and whispered the rest in his ear.
Callum suddenly coughed. When Emily drew back she saw that his eyes were impossibly wide. “I’m starting to think a special license might be in order.”
